


Directions carved in wood

by Bluejayblues



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bottom Zuko, First Time, Idiots in Love, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Masturbation, Season 1, Top Sokka, at least in the first chapter, i never mention it but yes Zuko still has the ponytail, it sounds kinda weird but there is actually enthusiastic consent all the way through, no one in this story has ever had a single coherent thought, you might think they do but I'm telling you right now they do not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:22:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29667243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluejayblues/pseuds/Bluejayblues
Summary: Sokka has never been a particularly lucky guy, but getting stuck in some weird temple with an angry Prince Zuko really tops the cake of this absolutely hellish week. Now he just has to figure out a way to escape without getting charbroiled. Shouldn't be too hard, right?
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 218





	1. Chapter 1

Sixty three... sixty four... sixty five. Sokka paused. He turned his head to the side and threw his arm over his eyes, letting out a groan of discontent. He’d been out alone after their latest narrow escape from fire nation soldiers. After making sure no one was hurt, he left, citing his need to cool off in the solitude of the hunt. The others had been reluctant to split up so soon after a fight, but if Sokka had to listen to one more minute of fussing he was going to go nuts. He had been out only a little while before he made a poorly planned lunge for a fat sparrowkeet,  
(He hoped that stupid bird was happy) slipped off a hill and hit his head. 

When he had awoken an indeterminate amount of time later, he had found himself in a chamber underground. Normally Sokka would have been freaking out already, but he had lost his ability to care sometime between hour three of evasive maneuvers and hour eighty of watching Aang moon over his sister. He hadn’t been threatened or interrogated yet, so Sokka assumed he hadn’t been captured by the fire nation. That was the one plus in this absolute deluge of awful events. Thanks to fire nation goon #467, Sokka’s little group had been sidetracked on their mission towards the North Pole, they were nearly out of supplies, his head was throbbing from the hit he took, and he STILL hadn’t caught any food. Aang and Katara weren’t expecting him back for hours and hours, and to top it all off he couldn’t make out any of the features of the room because the people who built this place were clearly too stupid to add any windows. 

There was no one here to see him, so with the combination of the last few days, the cold, and his pounding headache, Sokka felt justified in taking a little while to feel sorry for himself.

Rolling back over, he resumed counting his heartbeats, hoping that the sun would rise soon and miraculously light up the chamber. The stone was cool under him, partially soothing the ache in his temples. Figuring he should try and be proactive, Sokka tried to focus on his surroundings. The room didn’t seem to be terribly big and didn’t seem to be in any danger of collapse. There was very little light and a hint of... was that perfume? Luckily he hadn’t heard any living thing in the amount of time he had spent there. Sokka took a moment to send a quick prayer of thanks to La for the absence of any creatures with a hankering for a Sokka sandwich. 

Somewhere in the process of wallowing in self pity, a noise had started. Confused, Sokka sat up and squinted in the near darkness to try to find the source of the odd rustling sound. 

Suddenly the far wall began grinding apart, and the rustling soon resolved itself into the pained grunts of another person falling down a hole. Too shocked to react, Sokka froze in place as the fuzzy shape of a body came to rest on the floor and any light emitting from the hole was blocked out again as the walls slammed shut.

Stupid! He should have made a run for it as soon as there was an exit.

Sokka was pulled from his thoughts as the other person picked themselves off the ground and shakily stood up. Sokka nearly called out to them, but was shocked into silence when they lit a fire in their palm. The other person was a fire bender! Sokka scrambled to his feet, blindly feeling for his club or boomerang, desperate for a weapon to defend himself with. With nearly theatrical relief, Sokka felt his fingers close around the familiar shape of his boomerang as the sound of Sokka moving alerted the other to his presence.

“Who’s there!” A voice called out.  
“Show yourself!”

Sokka could only gasp in fear as he recognized the voice. It was Zuko! The fire nation prince had found them again! Sokka took a small amount of solace in the face that it was him facing Zuko and not Katara or Aang. His fears were only confirmed as the prince found a torch on the wall and lit it, casting the room in golden light. The other boy turned to face Sokka. Anger and recognition washed over his face, the scar further contorting his expression into a hideous grimace.

“Peasant!” He cried, entering a defensive stance.  
“Where is the Avatar! Why did you trap me here!”

Sokka searched frantically for a clever thing to say. Perhaps it was the headache, or all the time spent laying on the floor, but for some reason the only thing that came out was:

“Hey don’t pin this on me! I’m trapped here as much as you are.” Because he clearly had a death wish, he continued.  
“Listen pal, if you keep calling me a peasant, I might start getting the idea that you don’t like me.”

With a cry of inarticulate rage, Zuko launched himself at Sokka, sending a wave of fire out with his fist. Sokka ducked, throwing his boomerang only to see it clatter off the far wall. Note to self, he thought hysterically, get more weapons meant for enclosed spaces. He dodged a punch and sent one back as the two fought, kicking and swinging and rolling around as each tried to get a leg up on the other. The small space made it impractical for the large fire bursts Zuko usually favored, leaving them unusually evenly matched. Lost in the rhythm of the fight, it was only when they had bumped up against the stone and Sokka had managed to partially pin Zuko that he realized they were getting nowhere. Shaking Zuko he said as much.

“Hey asshole” he growled at the boy, putting more weight on his elbow as Zuko tried to squirm away.  
“Chill out and listen to me for a second!” 

Angry golden eyes were suddenly fixed on his face as the prince stopped moving. Sokka momentarily quailed under his gaze, but quickly recovered.  
“We’re both stuck here, and if we keep fighting like this neither of us are going to get out!” The angry prince snarled and finally managed to break his hold. Instead of resuming his attack though, Zuko leaned back for a moment, chest heaving as he too took stock of their situation. Apparently reaching the same conclusion as Sokka, he reluctantly agreed.

“Fine.” He panted. “but the second we get out of here all bets are off.”

Despite the adrenaline and weariness still coursing through him, Sokka found the strength to roll his eyes.

They got to their feet, each looking for any hints that the other would attack. They found none.

Immediate danger averted, both boys moved their eyes from each other to their surroundings. The room wasn’t very big. The floor was made of the same gray stone of the walls and as Zuko lit up more torches it became clear that there was no door. Deciding to dwell on that later to avoid panicking, Sokka focused on the most confusing part of the room. In the center was a bed. A large one opulently made up and looking as if the owner had only stepped away for a minute. At the sound of clinking glass, he looked over to see Zuko peering at a bottle he had taken from a shelf lined with similar containers. The prince squinted at the almost indecipherable label and opened the bottle, giving it a sniff. His face turned oddly pale and he poured a little out and rubbed it between his fingertips. Whatever he found must have been worrying because he started muttering frantically under his breath and darting his eyes around the room. Zuko looked like he couldn’t believe what was happening as he wildly dove at the bed, moving the pillows to reveal an inscription carved into the headboard. 

Sokka followed him warily, still not willing to let his guard down. He interrupted Zuko’s muttering.

“Hey uh, you wanna tell me what this is?” Sokka spoke awkwardly, unsure of where they stood now that they weren’t trying to kill each other.

The prince jerked his head up, finally ceasing his words. His face red and his eyes looking anywhere but at the bed. He stammered out an unrecognizable string of syllables that Sokka didn’t think belonged to any language. Even more confused, Sokka pressed forward.

“What? Where exactly are we?” He said, getting a little impatient, upset at their continued proximity to each other and Sokka’s continued absence from his friends. 

“It’s nothing!” Zuko cried, somehow turning redder. Sokka shot him a look.

“Listen man, if this is important you need to tell me.” Wilting, Zuko reluctantly continued.

“There’s a legend or- or a tale but I’m sure it doesn’t apply, really there’s no way there’s one here and really no way we’re going to do that so it doesn’t ma-“

“Just spit it out!” Sokka snapped, Zuko’s nerves sparking his own as he tensed up his hands by his sides. The other boy startled, standing up straight like a child being chastened by a teacher.

“It’s an old temple,” he explained. “To a goddess named Jōnestu. Commonly worshipped over 1,000 years ago in the lower Shu region of the earth kingdom. Her followers mostly died out after-“

Sokka cut him off. “I’m not looking for a history lesson.” Sokka was bewildered at Zuko’s behavior. As soon as they weren’t at each other’s throats he turned into an awkward babbling boy that randomly started telling the nearest person about things he knew. Suddenly Sokka was struck with the realization that Zuko was only a little older than him. 

Sokka sighed. “Just get to the point” he was too tired for this.  
“Please.” He added as an afterthought.

Nodding, Zuko continued.  
“She was a goddess of fertility and- and passion.” Zuko wouldn’t meet his eyes. Sokka started to feel a creeping sense of dread.

“Temples like this were built to honor her, but after her following faded, they’re said to have turned into more like traps. Places like these are desperate for worshippers so... so the only way it’ll let you out is if you...” Zuko’s blush made its way down his neck.

For a moment neither of them spoke

“If you what?” A drop of sweat rolled slowly down Sokka’s back.

“Honor the goddess’ domain.” Zuko spoke every word like it physically pained him.

“And how do you do that!” Sokka cried, tensing his arms, pleading silently for the other boy to just get on with it.

“The inscription says it,” Zuko said, unwilling to continue the conversation directly.

When no more seemed to be forthcoming, Sokka impatiently prompted him.

“Well? What does it say?”

The prince looked back at the headboard.  
“it’s an old dialect not commonly spoken anymore, but it roughly translates to: May your conquests here under Her light bring you pleasure.”

A horrible realization rocked Sokka.  
“That means to get out we have to- to what? Have sex?!“

“Essentially, yeah” Both of them suddenly found the floor very interesting.

Zuko coughed. “So you can probably guess the rest of it. The bed is for... that, and the bottles are full of lube.”

Sokka choked on his own spit. Despite knowing where the conversation was going, the sudden reality of his situation set in with the finality of that last line. His face got hot and he threw his hands up in the air.

“Well I’m not going to do that!” He spun around and started looking the walls up and down critically.  
“There’s got to be another way out of here.

Sokka’s outburst seemed to shock Zuko out of his momentary trance and he also set about checking the room. Both of them studiously ignored the other. 

20 minutes and a lot of awkward silence later, it was concluded that the whole room was solid. They had checked everything from behind the shelf to suspicious looking bricks, all to no avail. They’d even tried lifting up the bed (and if Sokka had noticed how Zuko’s arms bulged when he did, no one was there to judge him for it) as well as pulled on the torches to see if there were any secret doors. 

More awake now and headache finally fading, checking around had given him a lot of time to study Zuko. Sokka had never thought about it before when he was too busy dodging fireballs to care, but Zuko was kind of... pretty? His regal features and slim, toned figure combined with his sheer power presented a picture that was equal parts dangerous and intoxicating. Sometime before he’d fallen into the chamber, Zuko had taken off his armor, and without it he looked much smaller and less terrifying. The perfect size to hold against him, a traitorous voice whispered in his head, to slot under his chin, to- Sokka had to take a minute to lean his head against the cool rock. Would it really be so bad? He couldn’t believe he was even considering this, but other efforts were getting nowhere, and once faced with it, Sokka couldn’t stop thinking about how attractive Zuko was. After a not so long deliberation he figured there was no harm in trying. After working up his courage, Sokka finally spoke.

“So have you ever thought about just doing what it wants?” Sokka said with an air of forced calm.

Zuko’s head jerked up from where he had apparently been trying to find some meaning in the bottle labels, golden eyes wide and disbelieving. 

“You want to- with me?!” His tone was incredulous.

“Do you see anyone else around here that fits the bill?” If Sokka’s voice shook a little Zuko didn’t mention it.

“Well I-“ Zuko glanced around frantically as if trying to find someone to admit how crazy this was.

Zuko took a deep breath. With one final fruitless look around the room, he turned his eyes back to Sokka.  
“You’re sure?” He said slowly, as if Sokka was going to suddenly declare it all to be a joke.

Sokka had never been more serious. If they couldn’t get out he was going to die anyway, so he could brave any fire shot at him from angry princes. Decision made, he set about working on the next step.

Unsure how to start, Sokka slowly approached Zuko while he looked at the water tribesman like he was some kind of vision, ethereal and disbelieving. 

Reaching the other boy, Sokka hesitantly placed a hand on his waist, half expecting Agni himself to strike him down for daring to lay a hand on the prince. The only sound in the room was their harsh breathing. As if in some kind of trance, Sokka leaned forward and carefully pressed their lips together. Zuko gasped under him and went rigid, his arms shaking with the force of his grip as he clenched his fists. Sokka immediately withdrew.

“You don’t have to.” Sokka said with urgency.  
“If you really don’t want to I’m sure we can find a way.” There were a lot of things Sokka was willing to do to get out of here, but he would rot before he forced himself on someone who was unwilling.

Zuko grasped onto Sokka’s shirt as he pulled away. 

“No! I-“ He paused and looked at the floor, shoulders tensing.

“I don’t- I don’t know how.” The prince admitted.  
“Wait! I just mean I’ve never…”

The words sent an unexpected bolt of heat down Sokka’s belly. His intent to reply was cut off as Zuko continued talking.

“A-and I know I’m not very nice to look at.”

Sokka couldn’t believe it. Sparing a moment to freak out about how weird it was to be comforting Zuko of all people, he lifted Zuko’s head to stare at him with an unyielding gaze.

“Are you kidding? You’re gorgeous.” The words came out in a rush, Sokka’s voice rough but sincere.  
“When I saw you down here I couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe someone like you had fallen right into my lap.” To punctuate his statement, Sokka pulled Zuko down on top of him. The prince followed easily with wide eyes, clutching at Sokka’s shoulders.

“If you think you’re not hot you have another thing coming.” At his words a heartbreakingly vulnerable expression came over Zuko’s face.

“I...” He slowly gained courage. “I think you’re pretty hot too.” A slow, easy smile took over Sokka’s face.

This time when Sokka kissed him, Zuko kissed back. This was like no chaste kiss Sokka had felt before. This was hot and heavy and wet. He explored the other boy’s lips, lightly biting Zuko’s lip and licking deep into the heat of his mouth. It was addicting. When Zuko pushed him away, it was all Sokka could do to stop, staring at him with his pupils blown wide.

They looked at each other wide eyed before surging forward again, the force of the kiss knocking their teeth together as both boys gasped for air. They didn’t stop until both their lips were red and swollen with kisses. Finally pulling away, Sokka leaned down to whisper in Zuko’s ear, his breath sending a shiver down the prince’s back.

“Then I’d better make this one count huh?” 

Zuko moaned at his words, rolling his hips up into the warrior.

Some of Sokka’s nervousness vanished. Now that he knew there was nothing holding them back, he could commit himself fully to the exploration of their bodies. Important questions like how exactly he was going to explain this to the others and how he was ever going to be able to focus when they inevitably clashed with Zuko again were totally pushed from his mind, replaced with the rhythm of their hips against each other. Sokka felt Zuko hardening as he ground down, lips never separating. How had he ever thought this was a bad idea?

Before too long he had to pull away. 

“If we keep going on like this I’m not going to make it to the bed.” Sokka panted.

At the reminder of how far this was going to go, nervousness passed over Zuko’s face again. Sokka leaned back down and kissed it away, soothing the boy with hands stroking across his back.

Somehow they made it onto the bed.

Zuko looked decadent on the sheets. The flush on his cheeks and his disheveled appearance were immensely satisfying to Sokka. He had made that happen, the hungry expression on Zuko’s face was for him and him alone. He was broken out of his musings by the feeling of Zuko’s hands sliding under his shirt. Agreeing wholeheartedly, Sokka ripped his shirt the rest of the way off and made quick work of Zuko’s confusing amount of layers. Bare chested kissing was a whole new world of sensation, he could feel acutely the slide of skin on skin as he slowly moved downward on the prince’s body. He paused as he came down to Zuko’s tented crotch. Curiously, he pressed on the bulge with the palm of his hand and was rewarded with a moan. Transfixed, he pulled off the rest of Zuko’s clothes, receiving little help from the boy himself who was more interested in tracing the muscles on Sokka’s chest. Both of them gasped as Zuko’s erection was exposed to the air.

He’d never been so close to a dick that wasn’t his own and he was enthralled by the sight of it. Paler than his own, it hung heavy in front of him. Experimentally he gripped it in his fist and slowly stroked the length of it. The sound that came out of Zuko was shaky and wild, echoing in the room. Encouraged, Sokka did it again, palming himself as he did. Suddenly he was struck with an even better idea.

“Can I put my mouth on you?” Sokka trembled with want.

The other boy looked at him, eyes wide.  
“Yeah, y- yeah” his voice shook.

Sokka brought his head down and licked Zuko from base to tip. He felt around with his hands and stroked Zuko’s inner thighs as he worked with his mouth. Considering, Sokka pulled back, ignoring Zuko’s groan of protest. Readjusting, Sokka leaned down, put his mouth around the head and sucked. Zuko yelled and gripped his hands in Sokka’s hair, further messing up the already loose wolf tail. 

Zuko pulled Sokka up and kissed him roughly, hands fiddling with Sokka’s belt.  
As he realized what Zuko was doing, the coil of arousal tightened in Sokka’s belly and he pulled off his pants in record time and ground their newly naked hips together.

Zuko stared down in fascination, watching as their dicks slid together between them. Preoccupied as he was, Sokka didn’t notice Zuko moving until the boy already had his hand wrapped around them both, inexpertly jerking them off together. They both groaned at the feeling. Sokka threw his head back and caught a glimpse of the shelf full of bottles out of the corner of his eye. Breathing heavily, he managed to roll off Zuko.

“As nice as this is,” Sokka said.  
“I’d like to fuck you more.” He whispered into Zuko’s ear. The prince gasped at his words, face reddening again as he looked at Sokka heatedly.

Sokka leaned over and picked a bottle at random, uncorking it and pouring some hastily over his fingers. Turning back to Zuko he saw the other boy staring at him closely, eyes fixed on Sokka’s now glistening hand. Sokka went back to him then, the fervor of earlier replaced with a purposeful intensity as he moved his hand low. At the first touch of his fingers both of them inhaled sharply, tensing ever so slightly. Sokka stroked Zuko’s leg to soothe him, relaxing him enough to slip the tip of his finger in his hole. Entranced by the feeling, he pushed it deeper and soon was moving it easily. Zuko’s eyes were clamped shut, his lips parted slightly as he adjusted to the new sensations. One finger became two, and two became three before Sokka was satisfied that Zuko wouldn’t be hurt by the next part.

As Sokka withdrew his fingers, the golden-eyed boy let out a moan of protest, breathing heavily. Sokka gave into the urge to kiss him again. He was so hard it was almost painful.

“Are you ready?” If he didn’t relive some of the pressure soon Sokka felt like he could die. Zuko looked at him with naked lust on his face. It took him a moment to remember how to speak.

“Yes- oh spirits yes” 

Sokka lined himself up, the slightest hint of pressure from Zuko’s soft soft skin nearly sent him over the edge as he held onto Zuko’s hips with a bruising grip. Sokka stared directly at his face when he finally pushed in. 

Zuko was hot-tight-wet, the slide of bodies igniting the embers of arousal as Sokka threw back his head. He thrust forward, sinking all the way in, forcing himself to go slow to let Zuko get used to the stretch. They sat there for a moment, panting and wild, until Zuko whispered one word.

“Go.”

Needing no further encouragement, Sokka picked up a steady rhythm, reveling in the little noises Zuko was making. Soft moans and curses filled the air as they rocked together. Blindly, Sokka felt between them and gripped Zuko in his fist, alternating thrusts and stroking him. He surprised a moan out of the prince. Looking down at him, Sokka could only think that he had never seen anyone more beautiful. The dusting of pink over his body combined with his inky black hair and yellow eyes made him exotic and intoxicating. His breathy moans and the way he kept saying Sokka’s name only made the picture that much sweeter.

Sokka started to hear Zuko’s moans increasing in volume. His abdominal muscles tensing under Sokka’s fingertips. The knowledge of how close Zuko was only spurred Sokka on, fucking into him with near abandon. Zuko came with a shout, tensing around Sokka as he did. It took only a few more thrusts before Sokka came too, pushing deep as the pulses of pleasure overtook him. He stayed there for a second hunched over before straightening again.

He pulled out, wiping them both clean with a nearby cloth. They exchanged one last kiss, lingering and sweet. 

Sokka could feel exhaustion weighing down his eyelids, the trials of the past day catching up to him. Zuko wasn’t much better, yawning sleepily next to him. Sokka slotted himself behind Zuko, tucking the raven haired beauty under his chin and holding him close. 

He was sure escaping could wait until morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pining: the chapter

Sokka dragged his feet. The straps of his scorched breastplate dug into the thin skin on top of his shoulders as he kept walking towards the western air temple, plodding along with his equally discouraged friends. He’d failed. Again. The invasion was a total bust. He’d lost his dad again, lost his chance to end the war, his master plan had failed, and he hadn’t managed to catch so much as a glimpse of a certain golden-eyed prince.

He knew it was stupid. There was no way to get back what they had that night. Zuko had shown his true colors in Ba Sing Se when he helped his sister almost kill Aang and then ran back to the fire nation. He didn’t even have the decency to face them on the eclipse like Azula did. (The pain would have been worth it to see his face). 

As he trudged along, Sokka remembered the last time he had been near Zuko, back at that abandoned earth kingdom village. Zuko had looked skinny, dirty, and desperate. His voice was strong but his body shook with fear and pain. Sokka had wanted to reach out and hold him again, to try and soothe him with soft words and even softer touches. The prince was uncharacteristically dressed in earth kingdom greens that were worn and stained, a far cry from the soft red silks Sokka had thrown into a careless pile at the foot of the bed. The haircut suited him, Sokka thought. The all over fuzz made him look softer, more true to his actual age. Sokka wanted to run his hands through it, then pull it to see if he’d yell. He hadn’t gotten nearly enough of a look before he was pulled out of his musings by the blue fire of the crazy girl that was later identified as Azula, Zuko’s sister. Sokka had been horrified when the old man had taken a lightning blast to the chest, but Zuko had rebuffed any attempts to help him. Zuko had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with team avatar. (Nothing to do with Sokka). It hurt. He’d thought that maybe Zuko could change for the better when he recalled their night together in private moments, his face hot and his hands digging into his temples. But it had slipped through his fingers. Just like everything else. Sokka told himself that the night they had was just a fluke and Zuko really was irredeemably evil, but he couldn’t fully convince himself of that. Zuko hadn’t looked murderous or angry (well, not more than usual). He had looked sad and horrified, like the foundation of his life had been ripped out from under his feet. Sokka had left him there, kneeling in the burning village by the unmoving body of his uncle. As they flew away, nobody spoke.

Sokka lifted his head as they reached the temple. His joints groaned and the cast of sweat and dirt cracked on the back of his neck as he changed his hunched over position for the first time in what could have been hours. The relief he felt was tempered by his general worry and all-encompassing shame. Too tired and sore to think too hard, Sokka tried to gather himself back in as he loaded everyone onto Appa for the final descent into the temple. He watched Agni begin his descent towards the horizon, bathing the area in a soft orange glow. Sokka closed his eyes and leaned onto the edge of the saddle, scrubbing a hand across his face. He winced as the movement jostled and reopened a multitude of tiny cuts that soon made themselves known. Everyone was tired, filthy, and stank of the death they had left behind in the Caldera. Whatever they found down there, Sokka hoped they had baths.

After being deposited on the fissured floor of the temple, Sokka pulled himself out of his head enough to start planning. They had no forces, no firepower, limited supplies, and a dwindling amount of energy. Their allies were either dead or otherwise unreachable and they were on the run from the most powerful nation in the world. Deciding to put a pin in those unpleasant thoughts, Sokka rustled around in the charred bags until his searching fingers closed around some soap. Triumphant, Sokka gathered some clothes that didn’t have noticeable stains and set off, waving off the others who were likewise occupied.

When he had been walking for some time, Sokka deemed himself far enough away. He slipped past a row of moss covered boulders and found a moonlit clearing with a lone pool sitting in the center. Relieved, Sokka stripped off his grimy clothes and threw them into a pile off to the side. Groaning, he slipped into the pool, dunking his head under the water and scrubbing off the dirt that had sunk into every crevice of his body in the hours it had taken them to reach the temple on foot.

After he was clean, he sat in the water a bit, leaning his head against the side and closing his eyes. Sokka relished the feeling of the cool water lapping against his tired body. The breeze caressed his hair and flowed down past his chest. Sokka sighed and shifted again, feet slipping a little on the slick rock until he could get a grip again. Settling back down, Sokka tried very hard to be present only in this moment under the smooth, glassy surface of the water. Unbidden, his thoughts drifted towards a certain prince. The very idea of him was enough to both worsen and better Sokka’s mood. Tinged with betrayal though they may be, the memories they had made in that temple still made his heartbeat quicken and his breath grow labored. Sokka felt himself hardening as he thought back to a little room in the earth kingdom where he had lost himself in the smooth planes of another body pliant under his hands. He groaned, resolve crumbling, and decided to take the problem into his own hand. Literally.

With a careful glance around the moss-covered rocks, he determined that there was no one around to interrupt. There was only the sound of wind and the slow undulation of the water on his heated skin.

Slowly, he reached down and wrapped a hand around himself. Sokka gasped at the sensation, remembering what it had felt like to be laid on top of Zuko, the noises he had made while Sokka was taking him apart. His own hand was a poor substitute for the real thing, but he had to make do. Sokka stroked himself firmly, his harsh breathing filled the air as arousal coursed through him. His thoughts were filled with Zuko, how prettily he had arched beneath him, how he had called out Sokka’s name in that desperate raspy voice. With his other hand, Sokka tweaked his nipple until it stiffened into a firm bud. With both hands occupied, Sokka squeezed his eyes shut, images of Zuko painting the backs of his eyelids. Brow furrowing, Sokka increased his pace, recalling how sweet Zuko had been afterward and how perfectly he had fit against his chest. With a final sharp intake of breath, Sokka came into his hand.

As soon as the aftershocks had subsided and the mess was cleaned up, the moment was gone and a kind of melancholy settled over him. Fantasies gone, Sokka was left with a feeling of incompleteness as he gave himself back to cold, sobering, reality. He was left in the water wet, cold, and most distressingly, alone. Suddenly desperate to be in the company of his friends, Sokka gave himself a final once over before pulling himself out of the water and dressing in clean(er) clothes. As he made his way back to the others, Sokka carefully shut out any thoughts of the enticing prince, instead preparing himself for the controlled chaos that was dinner time with team avatar.

_____________

Sokka couldn’t BELIEVE this! The traitor prince had DARED to show his face at Sokka’s camp and spin this whole story about how he had changed and was going to teach the avatar firebending. Sokka had an easier time believing that Toph decided to take up birdwatching. Sokka chose to ignore how much the subject of his fantasies showing up so soon after Sokka had jerked it to thoughts of him shook him. Despite his best efforts, Sokka had been a little happy to see him. At least he had confirmation that Zuko wasn’t dead, especially after that stunt he pulled with combustion man. With the glares Katara was shooting at him though, there was a chance that it could be short lived. Unfortunately (or fortunately, Sokka wasn’t sure), he had put his deceiving self into Sokka’s group and after he took Aang to the dragons it looked like they weren’t going to be rid of him anytime soon.

The night the two boys had returned, Sokka watched Zuko’s face as he described what they’d found in the ruins. His regal features Had lit up into a radiant beam of happiness when he demonstrated his renewed firebending skills. The bright light of his fire reflected off his golden eyes and bathed Zuko in an ethereal light. Privately, Sokka ached.

____________

Fueled by his desire to rescue his dad (and partially by the feeling of Zuko’s arm under his fingers), Sokka pulled Zuko aside to question the prince on the whereabouts of his father. Stuttering only a little, the boy had described a horrible prison in the heart of a volcano (Seriously what was with the fire nation and volcanoes?) and told him not to risk it. The warning had only made Sokka more determined to rescue his dad and atone for his mistakes. Now all he had to do was take his hands off Zuko and wait until dark. He froze, staring at where his hand was still gripped around Zuko’s wrist. He could feel the other boy’s pulse, which continued to ratchet up the longer Sokka held him without speaking. Zuko opened his mouth as if to speak, but Sokka forced himself to jerk away from the prince and hastily retreated before he could let out a single word. Sokka set up his bedroll as far away from Zuko as he could. If he had to splash his face with cold water before making his way back to the fire, it was between him and La.

____________

Sokka waited until everyone was asleep before putting his plan into action. He crept silently along the uneven blocks of stone, grateful for the stealth skills he’d developed from years of hunting. He carefully crept past the sleeping forms of his friends and slid out to the courtyard where Appa was. Despite his expertise, it was apparent that someone was better than him in the stealth department because as soon as he peeked his head over Appa’s saddle he was immediately accosted by the stern face of Prince Zuko. 

“Not going anywhere huh?” The boy said accusingly as he leaned his chin on one hand. Sokka groaned.

“Fine! You caught me. I’m getting my dad back. Now get out so I can leave.” Resolutely ignoring the other boy, Sokka began to unload his supplies but was stopped by a pale hand grasping his own.

“You can’t take Appa.” Zuko said, sounding weary. “We need to be fast and inconspicuous. We’ll take my war balloon.” His tone offered no argument. Sokka considered the prospect of hours spent on a small balloon in close quarters with his former lover and the massive tension between them. He could hardly think of a worse way to spend his time. Sokka picked his head up to tell him so, but was stopped in his tracks by Zuko’s eyes locked on his own. Their faces were inches apart and Sokka could see the intense expression in those yellow eyes, showing no sign of giving in. Zuko’s fingers tightened on his own. Sokka’s heart pounded loudly in his ears. 

Distantly, he could hear himself agreeing as he stared, enraptured, into Zuko’s face. This was going to be a disaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied! Turns out this story is going to be three parts. This chapter is a little shorter, but this was such a nice place to leave it. The last chapter should be out around this time next week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thrilling conclusion!

It was a disaster. The awkward silence stretched on for hours as they floated above the water, neither willing to be the first to speak up. It was the first time they had been alone together, really alone, since all those months ago in the chamber. It was almost poetic that the first time they had met up since that night was in yet another temple. Yet with all that time spent in the Western Air Temple, there had always been other people in the room with them. Sokka hadn't had to endure the trial of being in Zuko’s presence by himself and all the awkwardness that would entail. Sokka didn’t know how to act now that there was no larger purpose to be working toward. Whether it was escaping from an underground temple, fighting each other, or just cooking dinner, there was always something. Now that they were stuck in a balloon with nothing to do but wait, Sokka felt tetherless and unsure. The tension between them seemed formless and overbearing, hanging over them like a heavy cloud. 

Desperate to break up the monotony, Sokka finally spoke.

“Pretty clouds.” Sokka froze. Really? That’s all he could come up with? Zuko was going to think he was some kind of idiot. The other boy coughed awkwardly.

“Yeah… Fluffy.”

Great. Now they were both idiots. The end of this balloon ride couldn’t come soon enough. Sokka almost spoke more, but at the last second he decided not to in order to save them both the embarrassment. Once again they lapsed into silence. Somewhere along the line, Sokka fell asleep. 

“There it is.” The sound of Zuko’s voice woke him up. The warrior jolted awake, flailing a little before regaining his bearings enough to look over the side at the fast approaching island. Somehow seeing it in person made it all too real. Sokka had done a lot of stupid things, but this one really took the cake. He hoped that it wouldn’t come back to bite him. 

As soon as they passed over the mouth of the volcano, they started falling. After some panicked scrambling and a lot of luck, they reached the rocky beach with no serious injuries and without being detected. Sokka didn’t know if he was sweating more from the oppressive heat of the water, from nerves, or from the looming inevitability of having to actually talk to Zuko. They were officially trapped in enemy territory with no one to trust but each other. With one last solemn look, both boys turned their backs on the water, and snuck into the building.

“Now that we’re here, we need to blend in. I know how fire nation bases are laid out, and there should be a uniform storage room right about… here.” Zuko peeked around the corner before waving Sokka on. Together they tried doors until they found one containing shelves lined with the notorious red and black armor of the fire nation. Even seeing them empty made Sokka feel sick.

“How am I supposed to find one that’ll fit me?” Sokka spoke for the first time since they landed. Zuko looked up from the shelves to focus on Sokka. His eyes looked the warrior up and down, assessing. Sokka shivered under the weight of his gaze. Finding whatever he was looking for, Zuko nodded. 

“You’re about the same size as me.” Zuko grabbed two uniforms from the same shelf and tossed one at Sokka. “They’re adjustable.” With the clothes in hand, Sokka had the horrible realization that they were going to have to change. He lifted his gaze from the fabric to ask Zuko where they were supposed to get dressed only to find the boy already halfway stripped down. 

“What are you doing?” Sokka called out, his face rapidly heating. He nearly stepped forward to stop Zuko, but quickly realized that doing so would mean wrapping his hand around Zuko’s bare skin. Sokka hastily retreated, his hand half raised and hanging awkwardly. Zuko looked at him curiously.

“Changing?” The other boy said, with an undertone of ‘are you stupid?’. Belatedly, Sokka realized that interrupting him meant that Zuko was going to spend more time talking to him shirtless. Desperate to make Zuko see the error of his ways, Sokka blundered on regardless.

“Well yeah, but- but not in front of me! Isn’t there a changing room or something?”

“Well normally we’d change in the barracks but seeing as we aren’t actually supposed to be here…” Zuko trailed off, staring at Sokka like he was the crazy one. “Besides”, Zuko continued, it’s not like I’ve never seen it before.” The prince punctuated his statement by pulling his pants all the way off.

Sokka gaped, still fully dressed in his water tribe blues, the red uniform hanging limply from his fingers. Coming back to himself, he quickly turned around and reluctantly started undoing his belt. Being the sole male in his village hadn’t exactly given Sokka much experience changing in front of people, and now he was in front of another person with the added possibility of someone walking into the room. Faced with the prospect, he found himself feeling… shy. Which was ridiculous, he told himself. He’d already been naked in front of Zuko, why should changing in front of him be the thing that makes his palms start to sweat. Resolving to get it done as quickly as possible, Sokka stripped, the fastenings he used every day suddenly feeling clumsy in his hands. As he hurriedly pulled the red underlayer on, he heard the clanking of metal. Despite himself, Sokka turned to look. 

Zuko was pulling the breastplate over his head, having already secured the lower pieces in the time it had taken Sokka to put on the unfamiliar clothes. Zuko’s arms were up, muscles flexing as he threaded them through the openings. Sokka stared. Finishing, Zuko adjusted the straps and moved to face him.

“Aren’t you going to put the armor on?” His tone was questioning. “It’s part of the uniform and you’ll be really conspicuous without it.” 

“Right! Right. I’ll just uh. Get on that.” Sokka jumped at the reminder, turning away once again and gripping the metal pieces. As he started trying to decode the system of straps, Sokka felt Zuko’s eyes on him. He tried his best to ignore it, forcing himself to concentrate on the armor he was struggling to put on. With how focused he was on ignoring the other boy, Sokka didn’t notice him moving until Zuko was right next to him, taking the piece out of his hands.

“Oh,” The other boy said softly “I forgot you’ve never put armor like this on before. Here,” Zuko turned the warrior around to face him “I’ll help you.” Faced with his earnest expression (and the confusingly complex armor), Sokka could only nod helplessly. Zuko grabbed the shin guards, kneeling down in front of Sokka and wrapping his hands around his leg. 

Sokka was a statue. A stupid, horny statue. And the object of his fantasies was on his knees before him. Sokka watched Zuko shift around and attach the rest of the leg armor. He didn’t trust himself to speak. Either oblivious or willfully ignorant, Zuko ignored Sokka’s state and instead finished with his legs and went to grab the breastplate. Motioning for him to raise his arms, the prince stood ready. 

Sokka felt too big for his body. He floated somewhere high up as Zuko pulled the heavy plate of metal onto him. The other boy practically hugged him as he did up the buckles at the sides. Pulling back, the prince looked him up and down appraisingly. Sokka looked back at him dumbly. Apparently finding him appropriately attired, Zuko spoke.

“Here. I think you can do this one on your own.” Zuko was handing him a helmet, the infamous skull mask staring up at him with empty eyes. Sokka pulled it over his head and peered through the eyeholes at Zuko, who had taken the time to put on one of his own. “Ready?” Zuko’s voice echoed a little, distorted by the mask. Sokka composed himself.

“Yeah. Let’s do this.” The two boys walked out of the room.

____________

Finding out that his dad wasn’t there was a huge blow to his confidence. Finding Suki had cheered him up immensely, he’d thought maybe things were turning his way until Sokka accidentally got Zuko caught. Sokka kicked himself for his inability to manage his time wisely. Wasting time was how a lot of bad things happened to him, and Sokka hadn’t made even one schedule since the eclipse. Luckily, he was pretty sure he had a plan. 

Doing his best ‘I’m a fire nation guard’ impression, he made his way over to where Zuko and Suki were half-heartedly mopping the floor. He winced a little at the hostility they had, but it looked like everyone was mature enough to not let it interfere with their escape. Unfortunately, they had a major snag in their plan. Another prisoner found them out and made them fill him in on the plan. Chit Sang was a little helpful though, as he got Zuko into the cooler. On the downside though, Zuko was in the cooler. 

Worry wracked Sokka as very carefully did not run down the halls to get to the coolers. He could only praise the spirits that Zuko had experience working in the bitter cold. Rounding the corner, Sokka breathed a sigh of relief when he finally reached the hall. Looking up and down the hall for guards, Sokka opened the door. Zuko was curled up on the bottom of the cell. Panic closed up his throat. Trying valiantly to stick to his cover, Sokka spoke.

“Have you learned your lesson?” Sokka was getting better at this, his voice barely wavered. Zuko moved, showing him all the bolts he had unscrewed.

“Yes.” The prince stared at him with a smile on his face and breathed fire. “Completely.”

Sokka went rigid. He didn’t know Zuko could breathe fire! It was annoyingly cool and sexy. How was he supposed to focus when Zuko kept doing stuff like that. The noise of more guards approaching cut through the fog in Sokka’s brain as he glanced up in a panic. Zuko was clearly thinking faster than him, because he swiftly pulled Sokka into the cooler and slammed the door shut. Sokka opened his mouth to cry out in surprise, but Zuko was suddenly crouched over him and a warm hand was placed over his mouth. They stayed still as they heard the guards mention a new shipment of war prisoners coming in the following morning. 

“War prisoners. It could be your father. Are we changing the plan?” Sokka felt the beginnings of traitorous hope start to sprout in his belly. He tried to choke it down.

“How can I risk the escape plan on the slim chance that my dad could be there?” Sokka hadn’t felt this unsure in a long time.

“It's your call.” Zuko looked dead serious. It was only then that Sokka realised the compromising situation they were in. He was laying on the floor of the cooler, the cold slowly sinking in through his guard uniform. Zuko was over him, nearly sitting on top of him. The space between their bodies was the only source of heat in the room. Zuko seemed to realise it too. His eyes widened as he looked down at Sokka’s face. Instead of moving away though, Zuko pressed down fully, laying himself over Sokka. Sokka couldn't move even if he wanted to, the warm body pressed against him tethered him in place as surely as shackles would. Zuko didn't seem to be faring any better. The prince had stopped talking, all his being focused on the warrior. Pulling himself together, Sokka spoke, his words coming out in stops and starts.

“You should- you should probably uh, get off of me.” Neither of them made any move to get up. Wetting his lips, Sokka spoke again. “We should get down to the others.” It was only then that Zuko moved, almost throwing himself off Sokka as he scrambled to the other side of the cooler.

“Sorry! Uh sorry, yeah we should um, get you down to your girlfriend.” Zuko’s normally pale face was quickly turning a fetching pink color. Mesmerized as he was, it was a little while before Zuko’s words sunk in.

“Wait- girlfriend? I don’t have a girlfriend.” The embarrassment on Zuko’s face swiftly shifted to confusion.

“What? Isn’t Suki-” Understanding, Sokka cut him off.

“No! I mean uh, no. We were never together, we just shared a kiss or two before calling it quits.” If the prince in front of him had been part of the influence to break it off between him and Suki, Sokka wasn’t going to tell him. “Besides, Suki is sweet on another Kyoshi warrior.”

“Oh! I just thought that-” Zuko made a visible effort to tamp down his surprise. “Nevermind, I’m sure it isn’t important.” Now it was Sokka’s turn to stare at him oddly. It wasn’t much longer before the two had composed themselves enough to get out of the cooler and make their way down to the shore. If Sokka had looked behind him, he would have seen Zuko let out a triumphant smile at Sokka’s back.  
____________

The way both Zuko and Suki agreed to stay with him in the prison would have brought tears of gratitude to his eyes if Sokka wasn’t so sick with worry that it was all for nothing. The moment he saw his dad step out of the gondola, Sokka’s knees went weak with relief. Now that he had a total of three people on his side, he felt much better about their chances. 

Sokka’s good mood lasted about as long as it took for word to get out that they were investigating the guards and that Sokka needed to get into a lineup. He felt like his stomach was going to drop through the floor as he stood anxiously with the others. By the time Sokka realized that Chit Sang hadn’t blown their cover, he was beginning to worry that the rollercoaster of emotions that this trip was bringing up was going to permanently scar him. 

When he finally got everyone into the yard for their escape, Sokka thought he could burst from the affection he felt for all three of them. The sentiment only increased as all of them showed their expertise by capturing the warden and making off with the gondola. With the way their prison break was going, it really shouldn’t have surprised Sokka that there was going to be another wrench thrown into their plans. The fact that it was Zuko’s crazy sister was basically par for the course at this point. Sokka couldn’t think of a single time since the moment he met Aang that no one was hunting them. First it was Zuko, then that Zhao guy, then Azula, then various earth kingdom officials, rinse and repeat. It was starting to get old.

Catching Zuko as he jumped above the boiling lake to get back on the gondola was one of the scariest things that had happened to him, and that was saying something. Sokka didn’t think he would ever forget the heart-stopping moment he realized that Zuko was going to jump. He thanked the spirits that he had been able to catch him. The feeling of their hands gripping each other was addicting. After pulling him in, Sokka held on to Zuko’s hand longer than he probably should have. Thankfully, any attention that would have been paid to that was swiftly diverted because suddenly they had company. Azula and that chi-blocker girl had landed on top of the gondola.

Fighting with Zuko was exhilarating. They kicked and swung in tandem, working together to hold the princess at bay. Despite their precarious position, Sokka felt unstoppable. The warden screaming at the guards to cut the line really wrecked Sokka’s good mood. Nevertheless, thanks to the knife girl, they made it out alive. Sokka had managed to not only get his father and Suki back, he had managed to thwart the princess and the prison’s record in one fell swoop. With how good he was feeling, Sokka could have floated them all back to the temple. Instead they took the princesses’ balloon. It felt like a fitting tribute to the whole experience.

____________

Being back at the temple was different. Better. Sokka’s family was back together, he had Suki back, and some of the tension between him and Zuko had dissipated. Not entirely of course. You can’t exactly sleep with an enemy, continue fighting afterward, and then get on the same side without there being some kind of awkwardness about the ordeal. However, once they came back from the Boiling Rock, the two of them reached a sort of compromise. They would completely ignore the charged air and act like they had never worked together before the Western Air Temple. It was a perfect system.

Except it wasn’t. 

Sokka couldn’t keep from looking. He saw everything Zuko did. With so little people it was inevitable that they would spend most of their time in one another’s presence. They all trained together, ate together, did chores together, and normally there wasn’t a problem with that. But then again, before, Sokka had never had his eyes trained on a lithe body bending and stretching with katas. Had never stared fixedly at the way noodles disappeared into a full, pink mouth. Had never watched strong arms hoist up bales of hay. It was becoming a problem. 

Aang and Katara had never been the most observant people. It wasn’t natural to them to pick up on the intricacies of the way people moved and spoke. Their obliviousness had led them wrong before,(*cough* Jet *cough*), but in this instance it actually worked in Sokka’s favor. Being the sweet naive little things they were, (and because they only had eyes for each other), they didn’t seem to detect Sokka’s ongoing crisis. All Toph did was smirk and and made vague jokes at his expense. His dad was focusing too much on having them back to notice that he was having trouble. (And if the fact that his father knew him so little hurt Sokka somewhere deep, he kept it to himself). The only one who actually talked to him about it was Suki. Beautiful, wonderful, supportive Suki was the one he confided in. He kept the exact circumstances of the beginning of his and Zuko’s relationship a secret. Sokka held the memory of that night close to his fragile heart. It was far too delicate to share with anyone else. 

Suki wanted him to talk to Zuko. No amount of explaining just how bad of an idea that was had swayed her. That argument had been left on an impasse when both of them stormed off. 

As he sat by the fire, he studied Zuko, how he lit up when someone talked to him, how carefully he arranged teacups on the tray, how the firelight danced on his face and made him appear elegant and otherworldly. He could feel Suki’s eyes on him. She looked meaningfully between him and Zuko. Sokka ignored her, he could deal with the hard stuff when Zuko stopped being so distracting to look at. 

____________

Azula’s attack took him off guard. Took everyone off guard really, that was the point of an ambush after all. Sokka’s group had split up again and he watched his dad’s retreating back feeling like the kid he'd been when Hakoda had left the first time. Sokka tore his eyes away and concentrated on getting everyone out alive. 

Watching Zuko fall was heart stopping. Sokka knew how ruthless Azula was, but the way she disregarded the life of her own brother gave Sokka a bad taste in his mouth. He only started to breathe again when he had everyone safe in Appa’s saddle. Their latest escape had come far too close to being their last. 

____________

If Sokka had known that toasting to Zuko would lead to him going off on a murder mission with Katara, he never would have done it. Katara’s harsh words echoed in his head for far longer than it took for Appa to disappear into the distance. He brushed off Aang’s consoling words and went off to practice with his sword. 

Crush be damned, when Zuko returned without his sister, Sokka almost killed him on the spot. Tensions in their group were so high that even pacifistic Aang was starting to come apart at the seams. Everyone sagged in relief when Zuko explained that she was off taking some time to herself. 

Going to Ember Island was an experience unlike any other Sokka had experienced in the fire nation. Sleeping in an actual bed and cooking in an actual kitchen were luxuries Sokka had nearly forgotten. Those nights spent together in that beach house were some of the best he’d had, especially now that everyone was getting along. But like everything else, the shadow of the war soon ended the lazy days on the beach.

____________

Aang was gone. Not just wandered off somewhere, really actually missing in a way that didn’t make sense. Worry welled up in Sokka’s chest and bubbled out of him in the form of action. With no sign of him anywhere, they went to find any allies they could. Inevitably it seemed, this led them to the white lotus. Together, they began to plot the end of firelord Ozai. Decided, they started putting it into action. 

Splitting up was the hardest part of it all. Letting Katara out of his sight unnerved Sokka like nothing else. It was only reluctantly that he let go of her. Leaving her to say her goodbyes to the others, Sokka turned towards Zuko. This felt like the end of something. Or maybe the beginning. There was a very real chance that they wouldn’t walk out of this battle alive. Suddenly struck by a fevered urgency, he opened his mouth to say something, anything to make right what had come between them.

“Zuko, I-”

“Don’t.” Zuko interrupted him, eyes looking just a little too shiny to be natural. The prince took in a trembling breath. “Just… just promise to tell me after.” Sokka’s heart was in his mouth. Too volatile to speak, Sokka just nodded and set out towards Suki and Toph, who were waiting for him by the eelhound. 

Plan set, supplies secured, hearts pounding, they set out to face their destiny.

____________

They won. They won. They were all a little worse for wear and they had a very not dead Ozai to deal with, but the immediate danger was over. Sokka could have danced with happiness if not for his broken leg and the gut wrenching terror that Zuko and Katara hadn’t made it. With the ease of practice, Sokka forced back his own concern to comfort Aang. The kid was completely covered in scrapes as well as tiny and not so tiny cuts. He was somehow both hyperventilating while also nearly passing out from exhaustion. Sokka talked to him in soothing tones that were only a little strained. Toph was standing as close to the three of them as she could, uncharacteristically silent as she tracked everyone’s pulses through the metal floor. Suki was doing her best to stem the bleeding Aang had well, everywhere, and convince him that there was nothing he could do until they were back at the Caldera. Between the two of them, Sokka and Suki managed to get Aang to sleep with Toph watching over him. They all sat in relative silence. For once there were no jokes or playful ribbing to break up the heavy blanket of solemn quiet that loomed over them. They sat like that until the balloon touched down in the fire nation.

Watching Katara come out to greet them was like seeing land after weeks at sea. She was limping and charred, but amazingly, gloriously alive. Zuko wasn’t with her. They were all nearing hysterical until she explained that he was just in the infirmary and that they all should be too. Tears were shed, baths were had, and they all felt a burden lift off their shoulders for the first time in years.

____________

A couple days later, Sokka and Zuko were the only ones still in the medical wing. The others injuries had been quickly cleared up with some waterbending healing and some much needed rest. It was just the two of them that weren’t recovered.

Sokka laid in his bed watching Katara work on Zuko’s chest. The subtle glow of her water faded as she bent it back into her pouch and once again threatened Zuko with grave bodily harm if he left the bed without her permission. Satisfied that her will would be obeyed, Katara left, the door closing behind her with finality.

Pulling his shirt back on, Zuko shuffled around to face Sokka.

“Hey.” He said, smiling softly.

“Hey.” Sokka echoed, fondness swelling in his chest. “I think there’s something I need to tell you.” 

“What’s that?” Zuko said, faking nonchalance. His eyes were fixed on Sokka’s with an intensity to match his own. Sokka sat up, grabbing his crutch and making his way to the edge of the bed. He carefully stood and hobbled over to where Zuko lay. The prince made space for him, never breaking his gaze. He sat and took Zuko’s hands in his own, tracing them absentmindedly as he confessed.

“I think I like you as more than a friend." Well, he'd said it, may as well fully commit. "I want to start over, take you out the proper way, no temple, no war, no interruptions, just you and me. Together.” Zuko’s smile could have lit up the room. Unable to resist teasing a little, the prince replied.

“Wanna know a secret?” His tone was light and happy, reassuring Sokka that this wasn’t all going to fail horribly.

“I think I like you too.” Sokka felt elated, he never thought that he would be able to have this. It was better than he ever imagined. Worry abated, he felt some of his confidence return.

“Does that mean you want to kiss me?” As he spoke the words, Sokka turned all of his focus to the beautiful boy in front of him. His world narrowed down to just the two of them. Another grin, bigger than the last, took over Zuko’s face.

“Definitely.” 

Obliging, Sokka leaned forward and pressed their lips together, happiness surging within him. Zuko moved to meet him. Any worry, any pain, any fear was drowned out as Sokka lost himself in the flow of the kiss. He smiled against Zuko’s lips. Oh yeah. The future was bright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah we've come to the end! If not for your lovely comments this would have only been a one shot. What do you think of the continuation?

**Author's Note:**

> I've never actually written a story like this before and certainly never one this long. For my first fanfiction, I'm pretty proud of how it turned out and I would love to hear what you have to say about it!


End file.
